10/19 We have been completed launching writer's workshop.  

We are learning to cnference, edit and revise work.  

Later this week, the students will chose one of their 

personal narratives and bring it to final copy.

We use Thinking Maps to organize our writing.  

The 6 traits of writing include: 
*WORD CHOICE - Evident of precision in the use for words (awareness 
     of language, understanding that there are different ways to say
     things, stretching to use new words)

*VOICE - Evidence of the writer behind the message (enthusiasm for 
     writing, individuality, personality, and charm, tailoring 
     communication to an audience, evokes an emotional response).

*SENTENCE FLUENCY- The rhythm and flow of the language, how it plays
     to the ear. (sentence sense, an ear for language patterns, use
     of more complex sentences, a variety of sentence lengths).

*ORGANIZATION - The internal structure of the piece (beginning, 
     middle, and ending, ability to organize and group, good sense of
     sequence).  

*IDEAS - The main point or storyline. (awareness of details, knowing
     what's important or interesting, clarity, focus, sense of
     purpose).

*CONVENTIONS - The mechanical correctness of the piece. (awareness
     of writing conventions: spelling, punctuation, grammar, and
     usage, paragraphing and capitalization).  

We will continue to strenghthen these traits throughout the year.